The early fires were mostly put out by policemen, sepoys, soldiers and even prisoners. In April 1869, a voluntary firefighting force was formed, but without proper training and equipment, the early brigade was proved to be inefficient in dealing with major fire disasters.

It was only until mid-1886, and after countless fires, when the proposal to hire firemen was approved. Two years later, the Singapore Fire Brigade was officially formed. With sufficient funding, fire stations were able to be established within the police quarters, equipped with horse-drawn steam fire engines.

A breakthrough for the Singapore Fire Brigade was the purchase of its first wheel escape ladder in 1908. Measuring 50 feet, the ladder was able to reach the highest window on a double-storey building. By the seventies, the Singapore Fire Brigade had a total of six wheel escape ladders, which were operationally ready until they were decommissioned in 1981.

The Early Fire Stations

Posted from England, Captain Montague William Pett was the first professional fireman in Singapore. He was appointed as the superintendent of the Singapore Fire Brigade between 1905 and 1912, and was given the task to modernise the force. One of Montague Pett’s contributions was to commission the building of the Central Fire Station to serve as the headquarters of his firefighting force. The fire station, also known as Hill Street Fire Station, was professionally designed with a training ground, engine house and a watch tower. It was officially opened in August 1909.

The Central Fire Station, however, was not the first fire station in Singapore. The Cross Street Fire Station had been the main station for the early firefighting force since 1891, and there were also the Beach Road Fire Station, which became operational two years later, and the Kallang Fire Station.

The Early Fire Engines

Merryweather Fire King

The Merryweather Fire King, one of the world’s best fire engines of its era, was introduced in Singapore in the early 20th century. It had been used by both London Fire Brigade and Penang Fire Brigade since 1905 and 1906 respectively. Fully motorised, it was equipped with a boiler that produced steam to drive the fire engine to the disaster site in a short period of time.

The Merryweather Fire Engine also allowed water to be pumped directly from a water source. The firemen could then use the high water pressure in their hoses to fight fire effectively.

Major Pump Three

The Singapore Fire Brigade acquired two Major Pump Three before the Second World War, and added one more in 1947. Produced in the 1930s, the Major Pump Three, also known as Dennis Fire Tender, was capable of efficient firefighting and rescue missions with its 450/500 Dennis turbine and 16m escape ladder. During the operations, the driver and the officer-in-charge would sit in the front seats of the open-concept vehicle, while the rest of the firemen had to stand on the side platforms, clinging tightly onto the ladder.

The Major Pump Three fire engines were put to test during the Bukit Ho Swee Fire in 1961. They continued to be used by the Singapore Fire Brigade until the seventies. Only one such model remains today, where it is being put on display at the SCDF Heritage Gallery.

Dennis Pump Escape

The Dennis Pump Escape was bought by the Singapore Fire Brigade in 1951 as part of an upgrade to their firefighting equipment. Fitted with a better engine, the Dennis Pump Escape also ensured the personal safety of the firemen, who could now sit inside the fire engine instead of clinging onto the side rails.

The Dennis Pump Escape served for a total of 28 years in the force, before it was retired in 1979.

Major Fire Disasters

Kampong Koo Chye Fire (1958)

Tragedy struck Kampong Koo Chye at Lorong 1 and 3 of Geylang Road on 5 April 1958, when a raging fire swept across the kampong made up of wooden and attap houses. Six lives were lost, before the firemen were able to keep the fire under control.

The disaster led to the formation of kampong firefighting parties made up of volunteers. Each party was made up of 20 young men who were given proper trainings by the fire brigade. The fire brigade would visit various kampongs in their fire engines to educate the residents on fire safety. The exercise proved to be successful. Instead of grabbing their possessions and running away, more kampong residents and the firefighting parties were able to quickly deal with small fire outbreaks before they got out of control.

Tiong Bahru Fire (1959)

Tiong Bahru had been plagued by fires between the 1930s and 1950s. A major one hit the kampongs at Tiong Bahru in February 1959, causing 12,000 residents to lose their home. The total loss was estimated to be $2 million.

Bukit Ho Swee Fire (1961 & 1968)

The notorious Bukit Ho Swee Fire, the worst fire disaster in the history of Singapore, broke out in the afternoon of Hari Raya Haji on 25 May 1961. Believed to have started near the King’s Cinema at Tiong Bahru, the fire, fanned by strong winds, spread rapidly through Bukit Ho Swee to Havelock Road and the Delta area. Rows of attap houses, sawmills and workshops were destroyed, and explosions were heard from the oil and petrol containers in the nearby warehouses.

A record 22 fire engines were activated, but by 8pm, the fire was still burning strongly. By the time it was put out, the fire had destroyed more than 100 acres of squatter settlement, claiming four victims and leaving 16,000 homeless. Several years later, on 24 November 1968, Bukit Ho Swee was devastated by another big fire. This time, 3,000 residents’ homes in another squatter settlement at Bukit Ho Swee were burnt down.

Robinsons Department Store Fire (1972)

On 21 November 1972, a large fire, caused by an electrical short circuit, engulfed Robinsons Department Store at Raffles Place. A total of nine people perished in the fire, and more than $20 million’s worth of consumer products were destroyed in flames that could be seen as far as Jurong. The disaster also ended Robinsons’ 114-year presence at Singapore’s prime district.

Sypros Disaster (1978)

In late 1978, the Liberian-registered vessel named Sypros arrived at the Jurong shipyard for repairs. A spark from the cutting torch caused the ship’s contaminated fuel tank to explode, turning the engine room into an inferno. 76 lives were lost; many of them were burnt to death. The Sypros tragedy later led to the aggressive campaigns for safety in the shipbuilding industry.

Pulau Bukom Fire (1981)

Struck by a bolt of lightning in the wee morning of 18 April 1981, the roof of an oil tank at Pulau Bukom was ignited with fires burning more than 15 hours. More than 100 firemen from the Singapore Fire Service were rushed to the scene to battle against the spreading flames.

Sentosa Hostel Fire (1982)

In the island’s first ever major fire, a two-storey youth hostel on Sentosa was partially destroyed on 24 October 1982. Flames quickly fanned through rooms filled with beds and furniture, as 70 rangers battled the fire for almost 90 minutes.

A fire had broke out on Pulau Merlimau oil refinery on 16 August 1984. Four years later on 25 October 1988, the storage tanks on the Southern island caught fire again. It went on to become Singapore’s worst offshore fire disaster. Lasting more than six day, the fire sent numerous tanks filled with naphtha into flames and smoke. The Pulau Merlimau fire resulted in 25 injuries and $15 million in losses, and thick clouds of polluted air and soot covered the western part of Singapore for days.

Jurong Shipyard Fire (1994)

Another flash fire hit a tanker at Jurong shipyard on 8 February 1994, killing eight and injuring three.

Tuas Chemical Fire (1997)

One of Singapore’s worst chemical fires occurred on 22 May 1997. Chemical treatment plant Chemsolv Technologies, located at Tuas, was hit by a fire that found it way to the highly flammable waste chemicals stored in drums and containers. The firemen took more than four hours to control the blaze. Two were injured and more than 500 workers were evacuated.

Eunos Crescent Market Fire (1999)

On 05 July 1999, some 158 stalls were burnt to ashes in a big fire at Eunos Crescent Market.

Seletar Market Fire (2000)

The popular but now-demolished Seletar Market was almost destroyed by a big fire on 28 July 2000. 84 stalls were destroyed, and the hawkers had to be relocated at makeshift stalls nearby. The new Seletar Market was completed in the following year at a cost of $750,000, but was eventually torn down at the end of 2004.

Pulau Bukom Refinery Fire (2011)

Burning for 32 hours and resulting in a total loss of $187 million, the fire that struck Shell’s refinery at Pulau Bukom on 28 September 2011 was the worst refinery fire since 1988. More than 100 firefighters were activated to control the situation. It would take three months before Shell’s refinery was able to resume to full production.

In the decade between 1975 and 1984, almost $350 million worth of property was lost in fire-related incidents, which totaled to be about 47,000. That was an average of 4,700 cases a year, or 391 per month.

The most common causes of the fire outbreaks were accidents, arsonists and vandalism, with the manufacturing sector bearing much of the brunt of the damages.

The year 1983 fared the worst, according to the Department of Statistics figures. There were 6,802 fire cases, leading to $47.1 million worth of property destroyed, many of them belonged to manufactured goods and properties of residences, warehouses and storage buildings.

The Modern-Day Force

In 1980, the Singapore Fire Brigade became officially known as the Singapore Fire Service (SFS). It was renamed as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in April 1989 after the merger of the Fire Service and the Civil Defence Force. The modern-day force not only dealt with fires but also other disasters such as the collapse of the Hotel New World in March 1986. Since 1988, the Civil Defence Force had also been deployed in overseas humanitarian and disaster relief operations.

995, the emergency number that most Singaporeans are familiar today, was introduced in 1984, replacing the older versions of 5555, 328111 and 3378111. In 1991, the first Public Warning System (PWS) were tested and installed. Today, the system covers more than 2,000 strategic locations on the island.

Former Fire Stations

Alexandra Fire Station (1954-2003)

Alexandra Fire Station was officially opened by the Governor of Singapore Sir John Nicoll on 25 February 1954. Constructed at a cost of $1.5 million, it was then the largest fire station in Eastern Asia. Located near Rumah Bomba Circus, the former round-about between Alexandra Road and Queensway, the fire station’s main mission was to serve Singapore’s first satellite town in Queenstown, Pasir Panjang and the west coast of the country.

Alexandra Fire Station boasted a 164-feet high watch tower, 62 feet taller than the iconic tower at the Central Fire Station. One of the station’s most difficult operations was the battle against the Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961. Serving for almost 50 years, the aging premises of the former Alexandra Fire Station was eventually demolished in 2003.

Bukit Timah Fire Station (1956-2005)

The fourth fire station in Singapore, the Bukit Timah Fire Station was built two years after the completion of the Alexandra Fire Station. Standing at the junction of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Old Jurong Road for five decades, it had become an iconic landmark in the vicinity with its distinctive red doors and watch tower. There were also several blocks of staff quarters standing beside the main station.

In 2005, the fire station was closed permanently; its role was taken over by the 4th Civil Defence Division housed in the new Bukit Batok Fire Station at Bukit Batok Road. The premises is currently converted into a restaurant.

Geylang Fire Station (1929-2002)

Before the ceasing of its operation, the Geylang Fire Station was the second oldest fire station in Singapore after the Central Fire Station. It was opened in 1929, and served a total of 73 years at the junction of Paya Lebar Road and Sims Avenue.

After 2002, the duties of the Geylang Fire Station were reassigned to the Paya Lebar Fire Station, who also serves as the headquarters of SCDF. The premises of the former fire station was given the conservation status is 2007.

Sembawang Fire Station (1941-2003)

Located within the former Sembawang Naval Base, the old Sembawang Fire Station was established by the British in 1941, providing operational coverage for the naval base as well as areas around Sembawang, Mandai and Woodlands. When the British forces started their withdrawal in 1968, Sembawang Naval Base and its facilities were handed over to the Singapore government.

The Sembawang Fire Station, with its fleet of fire engines, fire boats and firefighting equipment, was taken over by the Singapore Fire Brigade in 1971. It continued to be in service until 2003, when its operations were relocated to Yishun Fire Station. Like the Geylang Fire Station, Sembawang Fire Station was conserved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2007.

Serangoon Fire Station (1952-2001)

Built in 1952, the Serangoon Fire Station was situated along Serangoon Road near the Kallang River. It won the best fire station award in 1996. The responsibilities of the Serangoon Fire Station were transferred to the Bishan Fire Station after it ceased its operation in 2001.

The restructuring of the organisation ensured that the SCDF’s operational coverage was extended to the residential, commercial and industrial areas at Bishan and Thomson.

Another most informative article! For a city the size of Singapore, there seem to have been quite a number of significant fires… Guess, it’s to be expected when large-scale industry is in immediate proximity… The Central Fire Station is a remarkable building! Does it host the museum now?

There is a Major pump three fire engine that belongs to PSA parked at Pasir panjang ferry terminal but its in poor condition. PSA seems to be putting it in “cold storage”. I took some picture but do not know whether SCDF is interested in restoring it & putting it in their measuem.
Can anyone put me to the relevant parties?

Fighting fires is in Mr Yunnos Shariff’s blood. His father was a fireman. So were his two brothers.

In fact, the veteran fireman, 72, was born in the Geylang Fire Station in 1943. In those days, firemen and their families lived in fire stations.

So, it was not surprising that Mr Yunnos, the fourth of 13 children, followed in his father’s footsteps. Witnessing the massive Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961 also stirred his desire to save lives. He was applying to be a fireman then, and rushed to the area to see if he could help. But a policeman stopped him as he was not trained yet to fight fires.

“It was chaotic. Roofs were aflame and flying all about. People were running, crying and screaming,” he recalled.

The worst fire in Singapore’s history ravaged the area, leaving 16,000 people homeless and four dead.

Mr Yunnos started work as a fireman in 1962, and stayed on for the next 41 years.

The Singapore Fire Brigade was in the news this week in 1965, as it put up the first public display of its fire-fighting capabilities and equipment in Empress Place. The Brigade, later known as the Singapore Fire Service, and the Civil Defence Force merged in 1989 to become the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

As a rookie fireman, Mr Yunnos put out many bush fires. In the 1960s, fire engines had no water tanks. Firemen had to look for sources of water to extinguish the flames. Mr Yunnos said they often drew water from wells, ponds and rivers.

“It was very hard to find a water supply in the forests. So, we cut off tree branches and used them to beat out the bush fires,” he said.

Now, there is a network of fire hydrants islandwide that firemen can tap for water. Fire engines are also equipped with a big water tank and compressed air foam system that extinguishes fires four times quicker, while using 70 per cent less water.

In the 1960s, firemen wore only their uniforms and helmets to fight fires, he said. This is a far cry from the protective suits and breathing apparatus to help firefighters breathe in smoke-filled rooms now. Less than a year after starting work, Mr Yunnos was promoted to work in the operations room – a fire station’s nerve centre.

He manned the line the public called to report fires and other emergencies, and dispatched firemen to the scene, among other duties. On March 10, 1965, he was the duty supervisor at the Central Fire Station in Hill Street when he experienced tremors.

Shortly after, the calls started coming in, saying that the MacDonald House had partially collapsed. It was only later that he found out a bomb had gone off in the Orchard Road building, killing three people. His father was one of the firemen sent to the scene that day, and he felt so relieved to see his father safe and sound at the end of his shift.

Mr Yunnos retired in 2003 as a second warrant officer. The former fireman, who has one daughter and is a great-grandfather, is now a volunteer guide in the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery.

A “raging” fire at a building in Tampines was brought under control, about five hours after it broke out on Wednesday (Aug 17) said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Assistant Commissioner Ling Young Ern, Director of SCDF’s Operations Department, told the media on Wednesday evening that the incident was the largest fire in an industrial estate in Singapore so far this year – the incident that resulted in the “largest number of SCDF resources deployed”.

Mr Ling said about 110 firefighters took part in the operation, the largest number of officers deployed this year. He added: “27 emergency vehicles is the biggest number deployed for an industrial estate fire this year. (SCDF has) deployed for the first time four crane-like aerial appliances at the same time.

He added that although the fire was now under control, the structural integrity of certain parts of the building may have been affected by the blaze and that firefighters had to exercise caution when entering the building to extinguish the remaining embers.

“After that there is a period of damping-down operations – to ensure that every single ember has been put out and the temperature of the building has gone back to normal,” Mr Lin said.

At about 7.50pm, SCDF said that firefighters, equipped with breathing apparatus, had entered the building “in pitch darkness” to “mitigate the deep-seated fire”.

Mr Ling added that the fourth to sixth floors of the building had been used as a warehouse, and that there had been multiple explosions during the fire due to aerosol cans that were stored in the building.

SCDF added that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The fire broke out at around 1.30pm at CK Building at Tampines Street 92, and in a Facebook post, the SCDF said its officers were responding to the incident.

Channel NewsAsia understands that there were no injuries resulting from the fire. SCDF later said that a firefighter had been taken to hospital for heat exhaustion.